Öpik Meets 'Campaign For Local Policing' To Discuss Merger Fiasco

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th May 2005

"We'll work closely with the CLP as we continue to oppose the Government's wrongheaded merger plans."

Lembit Öpik, MP for Montgomeryshire and Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, met a delegation from the Campaign for Local Policing (CLP) yesterday to discuss the increasing opposition to the merger of the four Welsh Police Forces.

Lembit, alongside fellow Welsh Lib Dems Mark Williams MP and Roger Williams MP, met a delegation from the CLP, a campaign group made up of 16 Police Authorities across Wales and England, who are opposed to the Government's plans to scrap the four Welsh police forces and replace them with a single force.

At the meeting, Malcolm King, the Chairman of the CLP, said he was "horrified by the Government's headlong rush to do something that hasn't been fully thought through."

Commenting after the meeting, Lembit said:

"We had a very useful meeting with Malcolm King and the CLP, and we'll work closely with them as we continue to oppose the Government's police merger plans.

"The Home Office is making a huge mistake in hammering through the merger of the four Welsh forces. These plans are being forced on Wales without proper consultation, and they could seriously damage local policing and local accountability.

"Because the plans are being rushed through with ridiculous haste no-one knows the true costs of the merger. Police Chiefs in Wales think the Government's plans could lead to a £61m deficit for Welsh policing every year, by 2011!

"The Government needs to start listening to the mass opposition to these proposals. Welsh MPs on all sides of the house are deeply concerned about the Government's plans. Home Secretary John Reid should urgently review his Government's policy and put and end to this Police Merger madness."